Once again New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is separating himself from the Republican Party’s talk radio and blog “troll” political culture: he has blasted the NRA for its ad dragging President Barack Obama’s two daughters into the debate. The question: is he too reasonable for today’s red-meat GOP?

Christie, who saw many Republicans turn on him after he supported Obama’s actions in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and the days before the 2012 presidential election, is clearly not concerned about taking on one of the conservative movement’s most powerful lobbying groups. He is also unconcerned about what it might mean for his standing with the GOP base. His office clipped the line about the NRA from the press conference and tweeted it Thursday afternoon.

What Christie has done here, like he did in the aftermath of Sandy, is to set aside partisanship in favor of humanity. Faced with events like a hurricane or a mass shooting, he did something we all have the ability to do…to set aside our differences in response to something truly terrible.

We’re running out of times like these.

It remains to be seen if the GOP will take his example and run with it. I’m doubtful.